Which party controls the council?
Voters choose the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.). The council chooses the (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.).
We could not confirm who is mayor of Mafube now. In May 2026, OFM quoted an ANC (MP (Member of Parliament) A person who sits in Parliament, which makes South Africa's laws. They are not chosen in this local election.) saying the (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) had appointed Phaladi Matsoe as mayor. No source we checked reports his election by the council or its date. The ANC told mayor Tlhoare Motsoeneng to step down in 2025. He refused in September 2025. He was still listed as mayor in November 2025. Mafube has been under a Section 139 intervention (the province steps in to run the council) since 2022. In 2021, the ANC had a majority, with 10 of the 17 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.).
What the sources said, by date
As of 21 May 2026
OFM quoted ANC MP Dikeledi Lereko saying the ANC had 'appointed what we call the people's mayor' in Mafube. The MP named Phaladi Matsoe. Mafube was one of the councils where the ANC told the mayor, speaker and chief whip to step down. A chief whip is the (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.) who keeps a party's members voting together.
This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.
As of 1 Nov 2025
Tlhoare I Motsoeneng was mayor of Mafube Local Municipality in November 2025. The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) was Matsatsi M Mofokeng.
As of 18 Sep 2025
IOL reported an ANC letter saying Tlhoare Motsoeneng, mayor of Mafube, had not handed in a resignation as the party told him to. The ANC letter said he refused.
As of 6 Sep 2025
Mafube mayor Tlhoare Motsoeneng refused the ANC's instruction to resign. He appealed to the ANC secretary-general. In his letter he said Mafube was placed under a Section 139(5)(a) and (c) intervention in April 2022.
As of 22 Aug 2025
In August 2025 the ANC in the Free State spoke about these councils. It said it would redeploy their mayors, speakers and chief whips. To redeploy is to move someone to a different post. A chief whip is the councillor who keeps a party's members voting together. The councils are Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala, Masilonyana and Lejweleputswa.
As of 24 Jul 2025
(Parliament South Africa's national law-makers, in Cape Town. It has two parts, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.) listed 'Mayor - Cllr Motsoeneng' and 'Speaker - Cllr Mofokeng' for Mafube Local Municipality. It did this during a joint oversight visit (a visit to check on the council) in July 2025.
As of 20 May 2022
The Free State Executive Council is the province's cabinet. It put Mafube under an intervention by the province. This means the province steps in. It came after a High Court judgment. The judgment ordered the province to carry out a mandatory (required) intervention.
How were the seats split?
Who holds the 17 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) now, counted up to 24 Jun 2026. A (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) needs 9 seats to run the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) on its own. The ANC has 10, so it can choose the (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.) and pass the budget on its own.
- ANC10
- EFF3
- DA2
- FF+2
Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 9. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour.
What has the council done?
We have not checked any claims about this (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) yet. That is not a mark for or against it.
Core servicesWater, lights, rubbish and roads: what your council runs.No checks yet
Housing and landHouses, informal settlements and title deeds.No checks yet
Safety and jobsCrime, metro police and work in your area.No checks yet
Governance and moneyCorruption, audits and budgets: how your council uses your money.No checks yet
What the official records say
From the Auditor-General and the national government. Every council gets the same checks. A council that is not on a list shows no row.
The Auditor-General gave Mafube a qualified audit opinion for 2024-25. It got the same result in 2023-24.
This means some parts of its accounts had big mistakes, or it could not show proof for some amounts.
Auditor-General of South Africa, 24 June 2026
In July 2026, the Minister of Cooperative Governance told Parliament that the intervention at Mafube is ongoing. It began in June 2022, under section 139(5)(a) and (c) of the Constitution.
This means the province stepped in because the council was in a serious money crisis. The council must follow a plan to fix its finances (a financial recovery plan).
Department of Cooperative Governance, 3 July 2026
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Mafube in 2024-25, for the 16th year in a row.
This means there is serious doubt that the council can keep paying its bills and keep working.
Auditor-General of South Africa, 24 June 2026
Where do I vote, and who is my ward councillor?
Mafube has 9 (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.). You can only vote at the (Voting station The place where you vote, often a school or a hall. You can only vote at the one where you are registered.) where you are (Registered Your name is on the voters' roll. Registration for this election closed on 7 August 2026.).
Pick what matters to you and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.
Take the quizFind your town to see your ward, your voting station and every name on your papers.
Or check with the IEC
- Who is my ward councillor now?IEC lookup. Shows your ward and who represents it now. (IEC website)
- Voting station finderIEC map. Find the station where you are registered. (IEC website)
Spotted a mistake? Report a mistake. Every change is logged on the Corrections page.